D-8 Summit Leaders Address Gaza, Syria Instability

On Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi opened the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation summit in Cairo. In his speech, el-Sissi warned that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, along with its spread to Lebanon and the situation in Syria, will have significant political and economic consequences for everyone.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the need for Syrias recovery after rebel forces ousted President Bashar Assad earlier in December 2024. Erdogan called for unity and solidarity for the Syrian people and stressed the importance of rebuilding the war-torn nation. He also highlighted the need to restore Syrias territorial integrity and promote peaceful coexistence among its diverse groups. His remarks came after Israel took control of a portion of southern Syria, near the Golan Heights, following the recent fall of Assad's government.

The D-8 organization, established in 1997, consists of eight countries Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.